United Kingdom - Weather

UK Weather for Sailors

The UK climate is mild and temperate, being greatly influenced by the Atlantic and Gulf Stream. Rainfall is heavier on the western coasts. The spring, from March to May, can be cool and wet, while summer, from June to September, can be warm. The weather is very changeable, mostly due to low-pressure systems that track east across the Atlantic bringing strong SW winds, usually of gale force. Occasionally there are long spells of pleasant weather when a system of high pressure remains stationary over the British Isles. In the summer months when the jet stream is more northerly the Atlantic lows track usually between Scotland and Iceland, giving the worst of the weather to the north, especially Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the winter the jet stream sinks south and then low systems track in across England, especially the southwest: Cornwall and the English Channel being worst affected, but also south Wales.

Overall, prevailing winds are usually westerly in summer, and easterly/northern in winter.

Strong tides make navigation around the British Isles particularly difficult.

In Scotland, the weather is very changeable, two days are never the same, but it rarely goes below freezing between March and November, May and June are often the best months with temperatures up to 24°C. The occasional summer gales rarely last longer than two days.

UK Weather Forecast Links:

• Weather forecasts are available on www.metoffice.gov.uk
  Click on "leisure", then "marine", then "inshore waters forecast". It gives a good reliable forecast for all UK waters. Issued at 05.00hrs and 17.00hrs. This forecast is repeated on VHF channel 16 every 6 hours by local coastguard stations to include new Outlook along with navigational warnings.
• Marinecall by Telephone - +44(0)845 610 1800.
• United Kingdom Weather Forecast
• For links to free global weather information, forecast services and extreme weather information see the Noonsite Weather Page.
• Admiralty Easytide website
  www.easytide.admiralty.co.uk
  Tidal prediction site from the UK Hydrographic Office that provides tidal data up to seven days ahead free of charge.